Courage to Make it Work –
I’ve had a lot of great ideas, visions, and dreams. Perhaps you have too, but talk is not action.
After you have the vision, you need to get started and that takes courage. It takes courage to make those cold calls and to network for referrals. It takes courage to market your vision. It takes courage to hire folks, tackle all the paper work, and learn all the new things that need to be learned.
We started Drew’s Animals as a hobby almost 12 years ago. We launched it over 11 years ago. I started my business about 9 years ago. I would have started sooner, perhaps, but I was afraid. I was afraid of what I didn’t know.
Even today, I have to muster up courage when it comes to filling out forms. I hate it with a passion. I have a strong aversion to it. My mind shuts down, and my motivation deflates. I felt most all of that even when applying for a simple business license the first time!
What about now? I just applied for one in another city. It’s still stressful! I have to make myself make the call and ask the questions. Which license? What form? Where? How much? Then, I have to look at forms that have words on them that I’ve never heard before. Itinerant would be one of those words! Since I don’t have brick and mortar there, just my vehicle, that’s the one I needed to check – Itinerant merchants and salesmen! Who’d have thought?
Let’s consider this challenge for the soon-to-be apostles.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
Mark 1:14-20
These would be apostles dropped everything to follow Jesus. What? No questions? Where is the fear? Where is the apprehension?
If the courage of the apostles isn’t enough to motivate you to follow what Jesus has for you to do, consider the courage of Jesus.
Remember He walked this earth both fully God and fully man. He knew when He prayed in the garden to God the Father that He was facing being whipped with sharp objects that would cut into His flesh and lay it open. He knew that He would have to suffer the cruel death of the cross and the shame that went along with it.
His prayers to the Father were:
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Matthew 26:39
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Matthew 26:42
And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:44
God put you here for a purpose. What will you do? Will you follow in obedience? Will you drag your feet? Will you give up?
I encourage you to step out in courage! Walk by faith! You probably won’t have to face anything like what Jesus faced.
LIFE APPLICATION
The challenge is to face your fears and the things that you just don’t want to do with the knowledge that if God asked you to do it, He’ll be there for you. Jesus suffered in obedience that we may have eternal life. Whatever God has for you to do probably doesn’t require nearly the courage that Jesus required. Pray and ask God to help you have the courage that you need to serve Him.